. >> reporter: i so wanted to love the musical "les miserables.". trouble started in the first-- oh, 30 seconds. ♪ at the end of the day she's been nothing but trouble -- ♪ >> reporter: director tom cooper has the songs perform the songs live instead of lip sync to prerecorded tracks-- and he won't let you forget it! ♪ follow to the letter your artillery, this will shame you until you die -- ♪ >> reporter: the camera rushes in on actor's faces, gets in real close. it must have been hard for them to keep their composeier as they went flat or sharp or in the case of russell crowe, into an uncanny fog of atonalty. >> reporter: do not forget me -- ♪ >> reporter: but i admire crowes-- all of their-- gumption the movie would be a monster hit and many will weep at the plight of hugh jack man's jean valjean as he labors to shake crowe's unshakable lawman javert while forced to sing an octave too high. >> reporter: strength to journey on -- ♪ >> reporter: meanwhile an emaciated anne hathaway. >> reporter: ♪ so different from the this hell i'm l